Watching The Sunrise
by Rubyyy
Summary: Su-a and Do-woo watch the sunrise together for the first time since their reunion.


**A/N: It's been a while since I'd wanted to watch/follow a K-drama like I did with this show. I was intrigued from the moment I'd watched the first teaser; it wasn't overly dramatic, nor was it slapstick comedic. Rather, its tranquil feel warmed my heart slightly (truly a drama for Autumn!). I can't quite explain it, but I must say that the leads' casting was excellent – Kim Ha-neul and Lee Sang-yoon (oppa!) both had very down-to-earth, sincere portrayals of their characters, and it made me root for them even more (despite how things progressed between them – which was supposed to be the point, no?)**

 **But I digress, as always :) I was left wanting for more after the last episode (why do the writers do this to us…), so I thought I'd take it upon myself to imagine what their reunion would be like. I had initially set this in Jeju, but it turns out that it most likely isn't! (The OTWTTA Soompi thread said the picture he sent to her was of Tasmania!) So I had to do some slight tweaking. But imagine that this takes place probably the next early morning, after factoring in time zone differences and what not :)**

 **Hope you enjoy – and if you made it to this section/story because you were curious, please please PLEASE watch the show! And hope you'd like watching (and aching and despairing and swooning) as much as I did :) - R xx**

 **Inspiration: On The Way To The Airport OST**

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 ** _Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

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While most of the township was probably still fast asleep, Seo Do-woo found himself stirring awake. He took in a deep breath as he stretched his limbs across the couch that served as his bed. It took him a moment to recall where he was: in a cabin that was not his own in Jeju. He tried to squint his eyes open, and his sleepy gaze fell upon the window above him, where a hint of a glow was just starting to fill the sky.

He turned his body towards the visibly slept-in bed opposite him, and through his still-squinting eyes, he saw that it was empty. The lack of an expected presence didn't shake him; instead, a tender smile crept across his face.

 _Always the early riser_ , Do-woo thought to himself, which was soon interrupted by a sudden yawn.

…

The dawn sky above Choi Su-a began to be streaked with a glorious golden, as the sun peeked out from behind the peak in the distance, which slightly resembled Sunrise Peak. She wrapped her dusty pink coat around herself a little tighter, closed her eyes and took in a deep, satisfying breath of fresh air. Su-a had missed the cool, crisp sea breeze while back in the city, and not to mention the colourful palette that was the sky.

Her moment of relishing was interrupted by a pair of strong arms snaking around her waist. Her eyes now wide open, Su-a gasped at the sudden touch, but relaxed when she remembered who it was that was holding her, ever so tenderly. She leaned back as the arms lovingly enveloped her further.

"You're up early," Do-woo whispered in her ear. "You should have just gotten more sleep, especially since we got in pretty late last night."

Su-a smiled and gently rocked herself in his embrace. She tilted her chin towards the view before her. "It's our first dawn here, and I didn't want to miss anything." She angled her face towards his and took in his minty scent. "I'm surprised you're up, though. You were sleeping quite peacefully when I came outside."

She felt Do-woo kiss the top of her head. "I didn't want to miss this moment with you either," he replied. A shy smile crept across her face as she turned her attention back to the unfolding sunrise.

A comfortable quiet fell upon them as they continued to admire the view – one that evoked a sense of wonder not felt in the longest time.

Su-a broke the silence as a thought crossed her mind. "Do you remember the first time we watched the sunrise together?"

As much as Su-a wished that she could consider their first morning after as their first sunrise, they both knew that another moment took real precedence in their history. She thought back to the dawn along the Han River bank, where he had let Annie return to the view that she missed the most, while still alive.

She felt his hold around her loosen slightly.

"I do." His voice was wistful.

She could almost imagine Do-woo's expression shifting, the way it always does when he starts talking about Annie. She knew that it wasn't because he didn't want to talk about her (quite the contrary, really); rather, he was still smarting over what he did not know back then, and what he could not do for her. Though it had been some time since he'd lost Annie, and though her death wasn't any fault of his, a sliver of guilt continued to haunt him – Su-a knew that much.

She traced the top of his folded hands around her waist, and laced her fingers through his. "It must have been a difficult sunrise for you."

"It was," he said, with a weary tone. "But it probably was the same for you too."

Surprised at what she had just heard, Su-a turned her body slightly to face Do-woo.

"Me? Why do you say that?"

Do-woo unraveled their arms from around her waist, and gently turned Su-a around to face him. She felt her breath catch in her throat as his kind, earnest eyes met hers.

"Because, knowing you, you had so much to feel for at once – for me, for Annie, and maybe other things I didn't know about at that time. I can't imagine how you could have done so." He paused to tuck her hair behind her right ear, which was quickly unraveled by the playful breeze. This prompted spontaneous smiles from both of them.

Do-woo stroked Su-a's right cheek with the back of his hand. "I hope you know that you are stronger than you realise, Choi Su-a. I've always thought so."

She felt slightly embarrassed at that comment. "Even though I always ended up running back to you, no matter how many times I said I wanted to keep to our three 'no's?"

"That's actually my favourite part," he grinned, his eyes twinkling.

Su-a reached up and pinched Do-woo's nose in response – a little uncharacteristic of her, maybe, but she could get used to being more playful around someone who knew how to appreciate it, and her.

Do-woo took Su-a's hands in his as the sky above them started to gradually brighten. As he gazed into her eyes, he wished that he could keep looking into them for as long as they lived.

"I just wanted to say thank you."

Su-a's gaze turned curious. "What for?"

"For finally wanting to be happy."

She averted her eyes from him, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.

"That's because I'd wanted to stop denying myself from…"

"Wanting?"

Su-a looked back at the man before her: a man whom she never thought she would be with, whom she had ached for on nights she felt alone, with whom she was able to let her guard down with after a long time, whom she felt completely at peace with; most importantly, the man who loved her, as much as – if not more than – she came to love him.

A sudden wave of emotion surged through her, and she felt her eyes welling up slightly. Without saying another word, Do-woo pulled her towards him.

Su-a remembered the last time he hugged her. Back then, while tender, it was a desperate embrace; they didn't know when they were going to see each other again. But this time was different.

"I'm so thankful you're here with me, Su-a," Do-woo whispered as he stroked her back. "I am eternally grateful. Despite everything that's happened, despite everything I went through, you're my silver lining."

Su-a sighed into Do-woo's warm body. They held each other for a few more moments, till he gently released her. Before she could say anything, he reached down and met his lips with hers.

The sun continued to rise above them as they kissed, and Su-a let herself melt into Do-woo's arms. She wasn't just free; she was finally home, where she was meant to be all along.


End file.
